NRL great's truth bomb over JWH backlash amid huge Sharks statement: Good, bad, ugly of finals week two

😃 The good: Braydon Trindall's return from controversy

😔 The bad: Rugby's eye-opening move for NRL finals games

😡 The ugly: James Graham hits back over JWH backlash

Braydon Trindall all class for Sharks after early season drama

The way Braydon Trindall accepted responsibility for a serious driving offence to bounce back and become one of the most important players left in the premiership race is an object lesson for Josh Addo-Carr. In the same week the Foxx continued to dance around the truth of what led to his drug-driving charge without settling on one consistent narrative, Trindall produced the game of his life to spearhead the Sharks' semi-final win over North Queensland.

"Tricky" had a hand in all four Cronulla tries, scoring a double and setting up the other two in a performance Andrew Johns rated the closest thing he's seen to a 10 out of 10 performance. Earlier in the season, Trindall was in purgatory after a roadside test found drugs and alcohol in his system.

He was sat down for five weeks and had to regain the trust and confidence of the coaching staff and playing group before returning to the NRL. "It really hurt him for obvious reasons, and so it should have," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said after Trindall blitzed the Cowboys.

"He took accountability and responsibility for that. And he has done nothing other than try and repay the team." Addo-Carr was given the opportunity to do likewise at the Bulldogs but appears more intent in proving his innocence. The lack of transparency and accountability will likely end his time at Belmore.

Rugby stars gifting NRL free publicity for finals games

If anyone out there knows someone at Rugby Australia, could you please explain to them they're in a battle for the hearts and minds of footy fans. That's doubly so in the eastern states, where rugby league is just killing them for exposure and interest.

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With that in mind, why would the Wallabies produce a video with their leading players giving tips on who they think would win the NRL semi-finals? A day out from their Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks, RA's social channels ran a clip featuring leading Wallabies predicting the winners of the Sharks-Cowboys and Roosters-Sea Eagles clashes.

As one rugby fan wrote: "Why are they doing this? What is the purpose?" Another added: "Why are we talking about the NRL? They're taking our talent..." Talk about a free hit for the opposition. Could you imagine an NRL club or the Australian Kangaroos doing something similar and asking players their thoughts on the Super Rugby play-offs? Not a chance in hell.

I asked an NRL CEO his thoughts on it and he replied: "If we did something that promoted a rival sport, PVL (Peter V'Landys) would be on the phone within a minute asking for a please explain. "You've got to be ruthless on and off the field if you want to stand out and survive."

NRL great responds to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves backlash

James Graham was involved in one of the most famous – or infamous – kick-off returns in rugby league history. Sam Burgess' opening carry in the 2014 grand final was met by Graham, with the force of the pair's collision fracturing the South Sydney star's cheekbone.

Burgess played on to lead the Rabbitohs to a drought-breaking victory over Canterbury, etching his name alongside the legendary John Sattler in grand final folklore. So, it’s safe to say ex-prop Graham knows a thing or two about kick-off returns - on both sides of the ball.

And he is firmly in the belief Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is blameless for the charge that ironed out Manly defender Tolu Koula in the first salvo of Saturday night's elimination semi-final. "People have called out Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for the opening carry and suggested he leads with his elbow or there was intent and he's been penalised for foul play before," Graham told Triple M NRL.

"If you watch that carry back, he's allowed to move his arms when he runs. He can't just run with one arm tucked with the ball and the other arm down by his side. "He didn’t raise his elbow. Anyone that suggests that (it was illegal) is way off the mark.

"There was clear video evidence. It was just an unfortunate collision." The NRL's match review committee agreed, clearing JWH of any wrongdoing.